Dwarfs
Dwarfs (Khazalid: Dawi) are a short but burly and resilient race of warriors and craftsmen. Most live under the mountains in mighty holds, with mines extending deep beneath the earth. They are immediately recognizable by their stout frames, long hair, and thick beards. They tend to be gruff and short-tempered and they are legendary for their ability to hold a grudge. However, Dwarfs are a courageous people and unswervingly loyal to their friends and allies. They are struggling to preserve the remnants of their mountain kingdom from Orcs, Goblins, and other foul creatures. Dwarfs have strong ties to the Humans of the Empire and many are now a part of Imperial society. 'Background' Dwarfs are an ancient race. Long before the Human tribes settled the region now known as the Empire, the Dwarfs built mighty cities beneath the World's Edge Mountains. Their proud civilization stretched across the Old World. Their mines delved deep into the earth, producing precious metals and stones. Their craftsmen produced wondrous items inscribed with runes of power. Their armies demolished the forces of Chaos and other enemies with axe and artillery. The Dwarfs indeed shone brightly, but it could not last. The Dwarfs were unwittingly drawn into the feud between the High Elves and their Dark Elf kin. The Dwarfs and High Elves, once allies against the forces of Chaos, fought a long and brutal war, known by the Dwarfs as the War of Vengeance and by the High Elves as the War of the Beard. The Dwarfs were victorious but their joy was short-lived. A series of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes decimated the World's Edge Mountains. The Dwarfs, already weakened by the massive casualties of the War of Vengeance, were thrown into turmoil. Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, and other evil creatures emerged to attack what was left of the Dwarf empire. Since that time, the Dwarfs have known little but war. They have won victories certainly, notably when they allied with Sigmar (the founder of the Empire) to crush the Greenskins at the Battle of Black Fire Pass, but the Dwarfs of the World's Edge Mountains live on a knife's edge. It is thus not surprising that many Dwarfs now live within the borders of the Empire. They are valued as Imperial citizens because of their craft skills and trade contacts with their mountain kin. Personality: Dwarfs are dour and very literal in all things, except when drunk. They use deep bass tones when talking, combined with a distinctive clipped accent. Dwarf language uses little metaphor or simile, thus Dwarfs are somtimes confused by the "flowery" talk of Humans and Elves. Dwarfs are direct, practical and definitive in their speech and actions. Physical Description: Dwarfs are a short and stocky race, and stand a foot shorter than most humans, with wide, compact bodies that account for their burly appearance. Male and female Dwarfs pride themselves on the length of their hair, and men often decorate their beards with a variety of clasps and intricate braids. A clean-shaven male Dwarf is a sure sign of madness, or worse - no one familiar with their race trusts a beardless Dwarf. Society: An exceptionally proud people, Dwarfs respect age, wealth, skill, and reputation above all else. Those who possess all four command the greatest respect. Respect for tradition is also important, but it is regarded differently from the others; its lack is seen as a fault, rather than its presence being a virtue. :: Age ''' :: Age is the most readily apparent of the four Dwarf virtues. The primary indicator of wisdom is the length of a Dwarf's beard (or hair, in the case of Dwarf women). Of lesser consideration is the amount of greyness in a Dwarf's beard, especially since Dwarfs do not grey uniformly. :: The pride that male Dwarfs take in their beards is legendary. They are never cut, or even trimmed. On special occasions, many Dwarf males will comb through the tangles and even braid their beards. Only the greatest distress will cause a Dwarf to damage his beard. Chewing one's beard is a sign of the deepest grief, and a Dwarf who shaves himself has acknowledged his complete loss of honour. Even among Trollslayers, shaving is extremely rare. :: The act of forcibly shaving a Dwarf's beard is the most grievous and unforgivable of insults. The humiliation of a Dwarf ambassador at the court of the Phoenix King in Ulthuan was the final spark that ignited the 500-year War of Vengeance between the High Elves and Dwarfs, which some Dwarfs still call the War of the Beard. :: Partly because Dwarf women are almost never seen by other races, rumours abound that they sport beards. These rumours are vicious and baseless, and are highly offensive to most Dwarfs. While Dwarf women do not have beards, they take as much pride in their hair as their menfolk do in their beards. They never cut or trim their hair, and braid it elaborately, in styles that are traditional to each clan. '''Wealth Among their detractors, Dwarfs have a reputation as miserly and avaricious. In reality, Dwarf culture equates prosperity with success. Dwarfs see wealth as a means to an end, the end being a comfortable life and the respect of their fellows. It is true that a typical Dwarf is wealthier than his counterparts of other races. While Jaan van der Kuypers of Marienburg is indisputably the richest man in the Old World, his wealth pales by comparison with that of even a minor Dwarf King. Though very possessive, Dwarfs are generous when presenting valuable gifts to honoured clansmen. They have also shown great generosity in repaying debts and rewarding friendship. When they die, Dwarfs are normally buried with a few highly prized possessions. The majority of their wealth is divided among their family and passed from one generation to another. :: Skill ''' :: No other race can match a Dwarf's memory for breadth and detail. They learn by observing their masters at work, listening to the lore, and from applying their craft. Mastery of one's craft brings great respect, and the greatest of the Dwarf artisans have a level of skill that is all but supernatural. By applying himself diligently to his craft, a Dwarf shows respect not only to his master, but also to his clan, his ancestors, and the craft itself. Since most crafts trace their orgins back to the Ancestor Gods themselves, attaining mastery of one's craft is a religious duty as well as a source of pride and honour. '''Reputation To a Dwarf, reputation is everything. Wealth can come and go, but one's reputation is the only constant in an ever-changing world. Central to the Dwarf concept of integrity is the value of one's word. A Dwarf's word, once given, is unbreakable; to demand an oath is regarded as an insult, and when a Dwarf offers to take an oath, it is usually a sarcastic hint that the Dwarf feels his honour is being slighted. Because of this, Dwarfs are very reluctant to give their word on anything, and choose their words very carefully when making any kind of commitment. "I will do as you ask, unless something prevents me" is a typical turn of phrase. This has led to their gaining an undeserved reputation for evasiveness. In fact, the Dwarf sense of honour dictates that any obligation must be fulfilled to the letter, and if they should die with a promise unfulfilled, the responsibility passes down to their descendants. This is not something to be undertaken lightly. In extreme cases, inability to keep a promise has forced a Dwarf to forsake his clan and become a Trollslayer. :: Tradition :: Generally, Dwarfs are tradition-bound, determined pragmatists who see the world in very stark terms. As such, they have few superstitions. Of those few that have survived, one of the most common revolves around the observance of tradition and ritual. These are tried and tested methods that have proved their worth over the millenia. Thus it is believed that any failure to behave in the prescribed manner could lead to misfortune and disaster. It doesn't matter whether the operation in question is a ritual invocation, the making of an object, or the recitation of a traditional Dwarf story. :: :: Relations: ''' :: '''The Elves :: The Dwarf victory in the War of Vengeance expunged the great majority of grudges against the Elves that had been entered up to that time, because of King Gotrek's declaration that the life and Phoenix Crown of Caledore II constituted just compensation for all the Elf insults and injustices of the war. :: Of course, fresh grudges have arisen since then. The Dwarfs feel a general animosity towards the Elves, regarding them as untrustworthy, flighty, arrogant, and without many redeeming characteristics. :: The Greenskins :: Far deeper than their contempt for the Elves, though, is the hatred the Dwarfs have for the Greenskin races (Orcs, Hobgoblins, Goblins, and Snotlings). The Orcs and Goblins have taken more Dwarf lives, and destroyed more Dwarfholds than all other races combined. :: The general feeling among Dwarfs is that only the complete destruction of the Greenskin races can even come close to representing just compensation for all the fallen Dawi. :: The Tainted :: The Dwarfs reserve a particular loathing for the corrupted Chaos Dwarfs, whom they call the Tainted (Khazalid: Frurndar). Their existence is seen as a disgrace to the entire Dwarf race, and one which can only be expunged by the total extinction of the Chaos Dwarfs. The savagery of the battles between the two races nearly reaches that of the Dwarf-Orc conflicts. The few Chaos Dwarfs who survive long enough to be captured can only look forward to a lengthy interrogation before they are also killed. ' Alignment and Religion:' Dwarves are driven by honor and tradition, and while they are often satirized as standoffish, they have a strong sense of friendship and justice, and those who win their trust understand that, while they work hard, they play even harder - especially when good ale is involved. Most Dwarfs are lawful good. They venerate their ancestors instead of worshipping otherworldly gods. They believe that the spirits of the Ancestors watch over them, guide their actions, judge their achievements and determine if they have led worthy lives. Most widely revered are the Ancestor Gods. Of these, Grugni, Valaya, and Grimnir are the most important. According to Dwarflore, the three were born from deep within the hearts of the first mountains, and the entire Dwarf race is descended from them. Gazul, the younger brother of the three principal Ancestor Gods, protects the spirits of the clan ancestors. Smednir, Thungni, and Morgrim are other Ancestor Gods, whose worship tends to be restricted to specific clans. Adventurers: Although Dwarf adventurers are rare compared to humans, they can be found in most regions of the world. Dwarves often leave the confines of their redoubts to seek glory for their clans, to find wealth with which to enrich the fortress-homes of their birth, or to reclaim fallen Dwarfholds from racial enemies. Dwarven warfare is often characterized by tunnel fighting and melee combat, and as such most Dwarfs tend toward classes such as fighters and barbarians. Male Names: Cranneg, Durak, Gotrek, Hadra, Haakon, Kazadar, Rungnr. Female Names: Astrid, Fenna, Freda, Kettra, Skorina, Tarni, Thindra. Factions: Order/Fortune. The Dwarfs were once the lords of a mighty empire that stretched from the World's Edge Mountains all the way to the Great Western Ocean, from the ice-reamed mountains of Norsca to the humid jungles of the Southlands. They have long stood against the forces of Destruction and Undeath; whether Greenskin Waaaghs, Skaven infiltrations, or Chaos Incursions, the Dawi have stood for what is righteous in this world. If the Dawi have one vice, it is a hunger for gold and other assorted riches. This trait, combined with a racial desire to retake the fallen Dwarfholds means that sometimes, their motivations are more greedy than righteous. ''Karaz Ankor,'' the Dwarf Empire In the decades following the defeat of Chaos, the Dwarfs completed a complex system of underground roads called the Underway (Khazalid: Ungdrin Ankor) which connected the strongholds of the World's Edge Mountains. Hewn through the solid rock, the Underway's many smaller tunnels branched off main tunnels to indivual mines, forts, and smaller holds. This sytem laid the foundation for the great Dwarf Empire of Karaz Ankor. The strength and wealth of this empire flourished during the Golden Age (c. -2,400 to -2,000 I.C.). Its power became such that the Dwarfs defeated the mighty High Elf armies in the War of Vengeance (from -1,997 to -1,501 I.C.) despite suffering many casualties. Victory was very short-lived, however, as the mountains soon betrayed the Dwarfs. Wars, devastations, and migrations over the next 1,500 years brought Karaz Ankor to the edge of ruin. The High King of Karaz-a-Karak was no longer the supreme ruler of the Dwarf Empire as he had been in the Golden Age. The relative isolation of the remaining Dwarfholds from one another strengthened the Dwarf kings within their respective realms. The restructuring of power did not diminish the level of their cooperation, however. In fact, the change further invigorated the race in the face of adversity. The rise of Sigmar's Empire 2,500 years ago allowed the Dwarfs the breathing space they needed to re-establish Karaz Ankor. They began the long, arduous task of rebuilding the Underway and reclaiming some of their lost holdings. The task is a daunting one, however as the Dwarfs are less numerous than they were in the days of old. :: ' Karaz-a-Karak' :: Known to humans as Everpeak, Karaz-a-Karak is the capital and largest hold in the much-reduced Dwarf Empire (Karaz Ankor). The High King of all Dwarfs holds court in this mighty and populous stronghold. It is the centre of Dwarf culture, and its traditions can be traced directly to the Time of the Ancestor Gods. Within its vast walls and vaults are the world's largest temples to the main ancestor gods Grungni, Grimnir and Valaya. All the most important Dwarf cultural artefacts and books of lore are kept within Karaz-a-Karak. :: Like all Dwarf realms, Karaz-a-Karak exists both on the surface and underground. Above ground, it is built against the mountain known as Mount Anvil (Karag Grong). Its impressive defences include battlements more massive even than Altdorf's. The cannon and other war machines of the Dwarf capital guard the Silver Road (Agrildrin), an ancient mountain pass which leads from the Border Princes to the former Dwarf mine of Mount Silverspear (Karag Agrilwutraz). This is one of the many passes used by the invading Orc and Goblin armies from the Dark Lands. :: The High King holds court in a huge vault hall that is larger than some small human towns. A forest of colossal pillars supports the mile-long nave. Shafts of light, glow gems, and great braziers illuminate throughout the entire vault. No less impressive are the countless halls, galleries and mines that make up the rest of the stronghold's underground labyrinth. Though its current population is a fraction of what it was at its height, the halls of Karaz-a-Karak echo with reminders of the Dwarfs' past glories. :: Many noble clans still call Karaz-a-Karak home. They trace a direct line of ancestry back to the Ancestor Gods themselves, especially Grungni and Valaya. Foremost among these is the Durazklad clan, which is the most ancient and noble family. Its elder is High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer. As High King of Karaz-a-Karak (and thus of Karaz Ankor), Thorgrim keeps the Great Book of Grudges (Dammaz Kron) which recounts all the wrongs, ancient and modern, perpetrated against the Dwarf race. His wife, Queen Karga, tempers his devotion to the cause of vengeance (at least, in the hold). :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ' Zhufbar' :: A day's trek from the fallen Karak Varn, Zhufbar ("Torrent Gate") is situated in a deep, steep-sided canyon formed by a thunderous waterfall cascading from Black Water (Khazalid: Drazh Varn) into the river below. Here, thousands of water wheels power huge drop-hammers, crushers, washing pans, drills, bellows, forges, and other machinery. The sounds of rushing water and Dwarf machinery fill the entire canyon, reverberating, from its walls. At night, the entire area glows from the fires of hundreds of furnaces. :: Unlike other Dwarfholds, Zhufbar was established primarily as an industrial centre. The principle shrine of the Dwarf Engineer's Guild is located here. The Guild status is such that the Guildmaster of the Zhufbar Engineers, Grimly Hammerfist of the Barakgrund clan, sits on the King's council. The Zhufbar Engineers are a little more adventurous and innovative than the Master Chapter at Karaz-a-Karak. In fact, much of the heavy industrial machinery used in the other holds were first designed and tested in Zhufbar, especially hydraulic-powered machinery and the pumps used to drain flood mines. Most of Zhufbar's needs for food, clothing, and other day-to-day items are met through trade with other holds and with the humans of the Empire. :: Zhufbar is ruled by King Morgrim Ironfoge of the Karangaz clan and his wife, Queen Lenka. Like most noble clans, the Karangaz claim direct descent from Grungni. A shrine to the Ancestor God is found in each of the great caverns of Zhufbar. Category:Races